TUESDAY
PRIMARY RESULTS: DC'S BARRY IS BACK, BUT NO OTHER SUPRISES. Primary
voters went to the polls in nine states and DC on Tuesday. Here
are some of the highlights. NEW YORK: In CD-11,
Congressman Major Owens (D) won 45% to surive a primary challenge
in his final run for re-election from two New York City Councilwomen.
His nearest opponent scord 28%. In CD-24, moderate Congressman
Sherry Boehlert (R) comfortably fended off a spirited challenge
from conservative Cayuga County Legislator David Walrath by a
16-point margin. In
CD-27, Democrats picked State Assemblyman Brian Higgins as their
nominee to face Erie County Comptroller Nancy Naples (R) in November
for one of the Dem's best chances in the nation for an open seat
pickup. In CD-29, Republican voters selected State Senator Randy
Kuhl to replace retiring Congressman Amo Houghton (R). Non-profit
executive Samara Barand is the Dem nominee. DC: Disgraced
former Mayor Marion Barry, 68, easily scored yet another comeback
by ousting an incumbent in the Dem primary for a seat on the DC
City Commission. NEW HAMPSHIRE: Governor Craig
Benson (R) easily won renomination, while former UNH Trustee John
Lynch (D) won the right to face Benson in November. WISCONSIN:
In a surprise, GOP voters selected underdog businessman Tim Michels
(R) as their nominee to face US Senator Russ Feingold (D). In
the heavily Dem CD-4 open seat race, State Senator Gwen Moore
won the primary and now seems assured of victory in November.
WASHINGTON: As expected, Attorney General Christine
Gregoire (D) and State Senator Dino Rossi (R) each won landslide
victories in their crowded gubernatorial primaries, setting the
stage for the first truly competitive gubernatorial race in the
state in many years. US Senator Patty Murray (D) and challenger
Congressman George Nethercutt (R) likewise had no problems winning
their respective primaries. In CD-5, Republicans selected State
Rep. Cathy McMorris as the nominee for Nethercutt's open seat.
McMorris is a heavy favorite to hold the seat in November. In
the open CD-8 race, King County Sheriff Dave Reichert (R) will
face off against radio talk show host Dave Ross (D) in this swing
district. Interestingly, until last year, neither Reichert nor
Ross had ever declared themselves to be members of any political
party. CONNECTICUT, MASSACHUSETTS, MINNESOTA, RHODE ISLAND,
VERMONT These states all held primaries, but they were
all yawners.Posted
by Ron Gunzburger - 09.15.04 |

NADER
SORTA BACK ON FLORIDA
BALLOT ... FOR NOW. Ralph Nader will again be on the ballot
in Florida if Secretary of State Glenda Hood -- a Jeb Bush appointee
-- has her way. Despite a lower court ruling last week striking
Nader from the ballot (the court found that the virtually bankrupt
Reform Party of the US was no longer entitled to the status of
being considered a real national party), Hood decided to ignore
the order and place Nader back on the ballot for all of the overseas
absentee ballots that must be mailed out starting within the next
few days. While Hood is appealing the court ruling, she admits
her self-help action is also intended to draw a quicker ruling
from the Florida Supreme Court. The Supreme Court quickly certified
that the matter is one of great public concern, thus allowing
the case to bypass the intermediate appeals court and head straight
to the Florida Supremes. State Democratic Chairman Scott Maddox
denounced Hood's move as partisan politics intended to thwart
the lower court's order. The Republicans counter that they are
just trying to protect the rights of voters to have a meaningful
choice. Stay tuned. Will Nader be on the ballot in your state?
See our new P2004: Ballot
Access page to find out the answer.Posted
by Ron Gunzburger - 09.15.04 |

TRACKING
THE BATTLEGROUND STATES ... AND THE FL & OK SENATE RACES.
In
Nevada, the new KVBC-TV/SurveyUSA poll shows Bush leading Kerry
by a 51% to 47% vote in the state. In Florida, the new WFOR-TV/SurveyUSA
poll shows President Bush moving out to a lead over Senator Kerry
by a 51% to 45% vote. However, in the open US Senate race, that
same poll shows that former State Education Commissioner Betty
Castor (D) is leading former HUD Secretary Mel Martinez (R) by
a 49% to 45% vote -- indicating that Castor is drawing some cross-over
votes in the aftermath of the nasty GOP primary contest. Speaking
of open US Senate race, In Oklahoma that new KWTV/Wilson Research
poll shows Congressman Brad Carson (D) unexpectedly moving into
the lead over maverick former Congressman Tom Coburn (R) by a
39% to 37% vote, with an independent candidate polling at 6%.
Carson was trailing Coburn by six points in the last KWTV tracking
poll. By contrast, the same new poll shows Bush beating Kerry
by a landslide 59% to 29% in the state, indicating that Carson
is drawing a significant numbers of swing voters.Posted
by Ron Gunzburger - 09.15.04 |

OUTING
TARGETS: MUCH SMOKE ... BUT ANY FIRE? Radical gay outing advocate
Michael Rogers
is drawing attention to his attempts at outing closeted conservative
Republicans who fail to adequate support pro-gay issues. His current
target -- with Hustler magazine joining Rogers for the
hunt -- is US House Rules Committee Chairman Dave Dreier (R-CA).
When asked if he was gay, Dreier declined to answer. But, when
asked if he was straight, Dreier also refused to answer. Even
if he says he is gay, Dreier should still remain pretty safe with
the voters in his current district. So far Rogers has produced
much smoke about Dreier -- but no fire. It's also pretty clear
from reading Rogers' site that his next target (after Dreier)
is going to be a very conservative southern US Senator. Some GOP
gay activists quickly countered by outing Art Torres, Chair
of the California Democratic Party. This is degenerating into
a real nasty blood sport. Posted
by Ron Gunzburger - 09.15.04 |

WEDNESDAY
OPEN THREAD. So as to avoid controversies close to home in
my "real life," I've decided on a new policy: I'll gladly
offer articles and opinions on races at the congressional, state
and national levels -- but no more writing about Broward County,
Florida politics. But, when it comes to that one topic, consider
me Sergeant Shultz from Hogan's Heroes: "I see nothing ...
I know nothing!" Of course, all of you can comment on whatever
you'd like. In other news, congrats to Canada
for winning hockey's 2004 World Cup on Tuesday night ... but I'm
going to be really pissed off if -- as it looks right now -- this
entire NHL season gets cancelled later this week if/when the CBA
talks break down between the NHL team owners and the players'
union. C'mon guys -- do it for the fans -- accept the salary cap
(note: caps haven't hurt skyrocketing NFL or NBA salaries).Posted
by Ron Gunzburger - 09.15.04 |

TUESDAY
IS THE "SUPER TUESDAY" OF STATE PRIMARIES. Primary
voters go to the polls in nine states and DC tomorrow to select
nominees in several hotly contested races. Here are some of the
key races to watch. NEW YORK: In CD-11, Congressman
Major Owens (D) must fend off a feisty primary challenge from
two New York City Councilwomen -- but, with the opposition split,
Owens looks well-positioned to hold on for what he has promised
will be his final run. In CD-24, moderate Congressman Sherry Boehlert
(R) is facing an aggressive rematch from conservative Cayuga County
Legislator David Walrath. The pro-life Walrath nearly defeated
the pro-choice Boehlert two years ago. In CD-27, Democrats will
select a nominee for this competitive open swing seat. West
Seneca Supervisor Paul Clark and State Assemblyman Brian Higgins
are the frontrunners. The winner will face Erie County Comptroller
Nancy Naples (R) in November in one of the Dem's best chances
in the nation for a seat pickup. In CD-29, Republican voters will
decide if either State Senator Randy Kuhl or Monroe County Legislator
Mark Assini will become the heavy favorite to hold this open GOP
seat. Non-profit executive Samara Barand is the likely Dem nominee.
NEW HAMPSHIRE: Dems are selecting a nominee to
oppose Governor Craig Benson (R). Former UNH Trustee John Lynch
-- who has been the victim of a dirty tricks campaign in the closing
days -- appears to be the favorite over State Rep. Paul McEachern,
who previously lost three runs for Governor in the 1980s. NH also
has three federal primaries. WASHINGTON: Attorney
General Christine Gregoire (D) and State Senator Dino Rossi (R)
are certain to win their respective and crowded gubernatorial
primaries by wide margins, setting the state for a hot November
race. US Senator Patty Murray (D) and challenger Congressman George
Nethercutt (R) are likewise guaranteed landslide primary wins
in their race. In CD-5, Republicans will select a nominee for
Nethercutt's open seat. There is no clear favorite among the three
hopefuls with each of them having a real chance of winning. The
picture is much clearer in the open CD-8 race, where the next
Congressman will certainly be named Dave. Polls show King County
Sheriff Dave Reichert (R) and radio talk show host Dave Ross (D)
holding commanding leads in their respective primaries. WISCONSIN:
GOP voters will pick a nominee to face liberal US Senator Russ
Feingold (D) -- but Feingold still looks very safe. In the heavily
Democratic CD-4 race, three Dems are facing off. State Senator
Gwen Moore seems to have the momentum in the final days, but anyone
could win this competitive primary. CONNECTICUT, MINNESOTA,
RHODE ISLAND, VERMONT, DC: Sure, these states are holding
some primary races on Tuesday ... but none are worth watching.Posted
by Ron Gunzburger - 09.14.04 |

TRACKING
THE BATTLEGROUND STATES. In Wisconsin, the new USA Today/CNN/Gallup
poll shows President Bush moving into a comfortable lead over
Senator Kerry. The numbers: Bush-52%, Kerry-44%, Nader-1%. Bush's
lead has widened in the state by 5 points since last month, while
Nader has dropped 3 points. While we usually don't cover national
polls -- and don't cover Zogby's polls that they conduct "online-only"
(but we do cover their normal-style polls) -- we'll make an exception
for this Zogby poll simply because it is one of the first surveys
we know of by any pollster that included many of the candidates
in the Presidential race. The numbers: Bush (R) - 46%, Kerry (D)
- 42%, Nader (I) - 2.4%, Michael Badnarik (Libt) - 0.9%, Michael
Peroutka (Const) - 0.3%, David Cobb (Green) - 0%, "Other"
- 0.6%, Undecided - 8%. Will you have all those choices (or more
... or less) in your state? See our new P2004:
Ballot Access page to find out the answer.Posted
by Ron Gunzburger - 09.14.04 |

WOULD
YOU CALL THAT AN ENDORSEMENT? In Florida,
former HUD Secretary Mel Martinez and former Congressman Bill
McCollum faced off last month in what descended into one of the
nastiest primary contests in the nation. Martinez -- who went
on to win that GOP contest for US Senate -- ran TV spots that
accused the conservative McCollum of advancing the "homosexual
agenda" and held a press conference that outed a key McCollum
consultant as gay (an ironic move, as several Martinez staffers
had also been outed as gay by some radical gay activists). It
got so bad that one of the state's top newspapers un-endorsed
Martinez one day before the primary. After a two week cooling
off period, McCollum grudgingly endorsed Martinez. Over one-third
of the nine-sentence official endorsement statement read as follows:
"I remain deeply disturbed by the last minute negative Martinez
campaign tactics that grossly misrepresented my views on social
issues and appealed to the worst in people. Clearly, it should
have never happened. Mel has apologized to me. I accept that,
and I hope this never happens again. It is now time to unite for
the good of the President, Florida and our nation." Don't look
for those words to appear on a TV spot anytime soon. Martinez,
who was drafted into the race by the White House, faces off against
former State Education Commissioner Betty Castor (D) in November
in one of the hottest open seat races anywhere. Posted
by Ron Gunzburger - 09.14.04 |

COLORFUL
STATE CANDIDATES. Washington State's easy ballot access laws
produces crowded ballots, and also draws out the gadflies and
eccentrics that make races fun to watch. Perennial candidate Mike
The Mover (D) -- a moving company owner who actually changed his
name to that of his company -- is yet again running for Governor
to generate publicity for his business. Will Baker is the GOP
nominee for State Auditor. The state party accepted his offer
to run and filed the paperwork after the close of filing, when
no one else ran. Since then, they've sadly learned Baker has more
than a dozen past arrests for disrupting Tacoma City Council meetings
and talks about child porn and murder/suicide conspiracy theories.
Once party leaders learned his history, they tried to dump Baker
from the ballot -- but it was too late to withdraw his candidacy.
Yet another one talks about starting to colonize space by placing
lots of humans into earth orbit on satellite bases. You get the
idea.Posted
by Ron Gunzburger - 09.14.04 |

NADER
TO
DEMS: F*** YOU! Independent Presidential candidate Ralph Nader
is apparently so annoyed with the Democratic Party's organized
legal efforts nationwide to keep him off state ballots that he
plans to get even by increasing his political efforts in the key
battleground states. On Friday, Nader announced he will formally
kick-off his general election campaign this coming week with stops
in Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. At a campaign breakfast
Friday, Nader spent nearly the entire hour criticizing the Democrats
for their ballot access challenges to his candidacy -- actions
that he described as "harassment." According to the
Hartford Courant, he said his campaign is "exposing
all the pus and the bile" of the Democratic Party and is
"flushing the system out." Apparently it was the Democratic
success at knocking him off the Florida ballot last Thursday that
set off Nader's latest tirade. A campaign spokesman also said
that his campaign would now move their focus from obtaining ballot
spots and move to the "the business of campaigning."
Nader also added that he doesn't believe his campaign will cost
Kerry the Presidency even if he focuses on swing states because
Kerry is already "headed for defeat" in November. "He’s
lost the clarity of being an alternative to Bush and Cheney. The
Democrats are probably going to lose this election for reasons
unrelated to my candidacy," said Nader. And,
speaking of ballot access matters, we've added something new to
Politics1. Check out our new P2004:
Ballot Access page to see who will appear on which
state ballots at a glance.Posted
by Ron Gunzburger - 09.13.04 |

TRACKING
THE BATTLEGROUND STATES. In Missouri, the new KSDK-TV/SurveyUSA
poll shows the state remains close. The numbers: Bush-48%, Kerry-46%.
In Pennsylvania, the latest WCAU-TV/SurveyUSA tracking poll shows
Kerry leading Bush by a 49% to 47% vote. In Maine, the new Portland Press Herald/Zogby poll showed Bush moved into a tie with Kerry. The numbers: Kerry and Bush tied at 43% each, Nader-3%. In Ohio, the new Columbus Dispatch/WBNS-TV poll also revealed a tied race in that state. The stats: Bush and Kerry tied at 46% apiece, Nader-2%. Posted
by Ron Gunzburger - 09.13.04 |

DE,
IN & MO GUBERNATORIAL CONTEST UPDATES. In Delaware's primary
on Saturday, retired Judge Bill Lee cruised to an easy victory
in the GOP race for Governor. He scored 70% against his two opponents.
Lee is still a decided underdog in November against incumbent
Governor Ruth Ann Minner (D). In Indiana, a new WXIN-TV/SurveyUSA
poll shows former Bush Administration Budget Director Mitch Daniels
(R) moving to a comfortable lead over Governor Joe Kernan (D).
Daniels now leads by a 53% to 41% vote. Consider Daniels the favorite
to score a GOP pickup in November for the gubernatorial office
that the Republicans last won in 1984. In Missouri, the open gubernatorial
contest is rapidly narrowing. Secretary of State Matt Blunt (R)
now leads State Auditor Claire McCaskill (D) by a 48% to 47% vote,
according to the new KSDK-TV/SurveyUSA poll. Those numbers indicate
a 4-point narrowing since last month's poll. McCaskill defeated
incumbent Governor Bob Holden (D) in the August 3rd primary.Posted
by Ron Gunzburger - 09.13.04 |

IN,
KY, MO, PA & SC SENATE CONTEST UPDATES.
With less than two months to go until the general election,
it appears that the US Senate incumbents in Indiana, Kentucky,
Missouri and Pennsylvania can all be moved in the "safe"
category. In Indiana, US Senator Evan Bayh (D) leads college professor
and frequent candidate Marvin Scott (R) by a landslide margin
of 64% to 28% -- even though President Bush holds a 24-point lead
over Kerry in the state according to the same poll (WXIN-TV/SurveyUSA).
In Kentucky, Baseball Hall of Famer and US Senator Jim Bunning
(R) is pitching a perfect game against surgeon and State Senator
Dan Mongiardo (D), according to the new WHAS-TV/SurveyUSA poll.
The numbers: Bunning-54%, Mongiardo-35%. In Missouri, US Senator
Kit Bond (R) leads State Treasurer Nancy Farmer (D) by a 57% to
37% vote (KSDK-TV/SurveyUSA). Bond has widened his lead by 3%
over the past month. In Pennsylvania, US Senator Arlen Specter
(R) widened his lead by three more points over Congressman Joe
Hoeffel (D). The WCAU-TV/SurveyUSA now pegs the race as Specter-51%,
Hoeffel-33%. In South Carolina, State Superintendent of Education
Inez Tenenbaum (D) made changes in the top levels of her campaign
staff. The shake-up came in the wake of weak poll numbers in recent
weeks in her open seat US Senate race against Congressman Jim
DeMint (R). In related news, State Insurance Commissioner Carroll
Fisher (D) lost the primary for US Senate in Oklahoma earlier
this summer by a wide margin. On Friday, the Oklahoma House voted
95-0 to impeach him on five counts related to corruption, gross
negligence and gross incompetence. Fisher was previously reprimanded
twice by the State Ethics Commission and was recently indicted
by a criminal grand jury for two counts of embezzlement and one
count of operating an illegal charity. The matter now moves to
the State Senate for a removal trial. Governor Brad Henry (D)
has called on Fisher to resign -- but Fisher says he has no plans
to leave office.Posted
by Ron Gunzburger - 09.13.04 |

THE
1/23 MARINES TAKE CHARGE. Special correspondent Lt. James
Crabtree of our "adopted" 1/23 Marines in Iraq updates
us on their transfer ceremony, visiting dignitaries, local customs,
and a reminder of the dangers faced:

Dear
Politics1 Readers,

Greetings once more from our humble home in the desert where
all of the unemployed teachers have no class. Just kidding --
I'm sure the Iraqi teachers' unions wouldn't appreciate that
joke. Well, everything continues to go fairly well for the battalion.
Operations continue at a busy pace and the Marines and sailors
continue to excel.

Last
week one of our trucks hit a landmine while on a road convoy,
but the biggest damage to any of the people involved was a bruised
thumb. This demonstrates that the area in which we serve is
a dangerous one, but that the training and the equipment we
have over here is doing its job. I share this information because
I want to paint as accurate a picture as possible about our
lives over here without violating operational security. After
all, the last thing I would ever want to be is a "Baghdad
Bob" enemy propagandist. However, as we have yet to see
a reporter or news organization in our battalion's area, perhaps
these report will be the only news the world is going to get
about the 1/23 Marines.

The
big event over here this week was that we had our transfer of
authority ceremony with the departing 2/7 Marines on the 9th
of September. I've included the "press release" like article
below that I wrote up to send into the USMC and Marine Corps
Reserve web pages. Its pretty matter of fact and not very colorful,
but when was the last time you saw a colorful or entertaining
press release out of the Department of Defense? I wish all of
you could have seen the ceremony. The assorted groups of Iraqis
that showed up for the ceremony wore everything from modern
western style clothing to traditional Arabic robes and head
coverings. They all seemed to enjoy themselves, too. They arrived
at the ceremony 45 minutes late and the food for their feast
afterwards was over an hour and half late, but they were all
delighted. Iraqis run on their own sense of time. The phrase
"Insha' Allah" which means "God willing" covers virtually everything
for most Iraqis. Whether or not they get up in the morning and
go to work could be covered by it. For some, everything is "Insha'
Allah" in the sense that things will happen when they happen
or will arrive when they arrive. Needless to say, this is very
different for Marines who are used to the idea that if you aren't
15 minutes early for something you are late. Here is the "press
release":

In a simple and solemn ceremony held here today in front of
a former Iraqi Air Force building that now serves as the command
post for a Marine infantry battalion, the Marines of 2/7 transferred
authority to the Marines from 1/23. This was a day in which
the Marines of 1/23 had been working towards for over six
months. As an infantry battalion of reservists based out of
Texas and Louisiana, the activation notice had been issued
in March and lives and careers had been placed on hold. Now
finally months of training and preparation had all come down
to this one symbolic moment.

With
local Iraqi dignitaries, officers and soldiers of the Iraqi
National Guard, and members of the Iraqi Police Force looking
on, LtCol P.C. Skuta bade farewell to those Iraqis he had
served with for the past seven months and wished them well.
He referred to the Iraqis as "brothers" and it was
apparent that his departure from this area is one filled with
optimism for the young nation's future. 2/7, an infantry battalion
from Twentynine Palms, California, had many notable accomplishments
during their seven month tour in this area of operations.
They thus established the region as a quintessential example
of how mutual respect and cooperation with the Iraqi government
will help the process of Iraq becoming the only democratic
Arab nation in the Middle East.

LtCol Skuta of 2/7 and Col Fahad of the Iraqi National Guard

LtCol
Skuta's remarks were followed by those of Col Fahad of the
local Iraqi National Guard Battalion. The tall and lanky Iraqi
spoke of the efforts that the Marines from 2/7 had made over
the past seven months to improve his country and he offered
his heartfelt gratitude. Upon the completion of his comments,
Col Fahad hugged LtCol Skuta and kissed him on each cheek
as a customary Arab showing of respect. LtCol G.D. Stevens,
the battalion commander of 1/23, then spoke of stepping humbly
into 2/7's shoes and of his strong determination to continue
the tasks and missions that 2/7 had undertaken.

A
Marine color guard from 2/7 then retired their colors, and
was followed by the marching on of the colors from 1/23. With
SgtMaj David Miller's uncasing of the 1/23 colors (pictured
above), the transfer was complete.

The
rest of the event was spent with Iraqis snapping photos with
Marines and showing off their new police squad car. There
was later a traditional Iraqi meal served in the battalion
conference area for all of the Iraqis present. LtCol Stevens
also met with one of the prominent local Iraqi sheiks. The
operations officers from each battalion quickly returned to
the Command Operations Center once the ceremony was completed
in order to radio to higher headquarters that 1/23's call
sign of "Lonestar" was now in effect.

The
other notable event that took place on the 9th was that the
battalion raised the Lone Star flag over our headquarters building.
This was the idea of the battalion commander even though he
was born in Connecticut and now resides in California. We aren't
allowed to fly the Stars and Stripes and I'm sure you can guess
how the Marines feel about that, but no one said anything about
state flags! 1/23 has also fully moved into all of the office
spaces and we have the Texas flag up in the S-1 office as well.

Well,
that about covers it for this update. We've gotten some great
feedback on the profile of Cpl Garcia-Ovando from the last update
and I've had a lot of Marines want to volunteer for future profiles.
The next "Marine of the Week" will be SSgt Wagner of our battalion's
communications section. Thank you as always for all of the great
letters, packages, and emails. With 2/7 finally heading home
soon hopefully the lines to the phone center will not be as
long and the Marines and sailors will be able to call home.
It also means that the members of 1/23 will all be living in
the cans. I know they are looking forward to that.

Semper
Fi,James

If
you'd like to send the 1/23d any care packages (food items that
won't melt, batteries, books, magazine, baby wipes, etc.), please
address the packages to Lt Crabtree, 1/23 H&S Co, Unit 41900,
FPO, AP 96426-1900 ... and James will ensure that whatever
you ship gets distributed to the Marines in the 1/23. If you'd
like to read more about our adopted 1/23 Marine battalion in Iraq,
please click here. FYI: I found another
site that has a good
history (with a few pix) of the Al-Asad Airbase where the
1/23 are stationed.Posted
by Ron Gunzburger - 09.13.04 |

MONDAY
OPEN THREAD. Hurricane Ivan took a wide swing to the west
over the past three days so, thankfully, we're still here and
happily online. That said, have at it on anything you'd like to
discuss.Posted
by Ron Gunzburger - 09.13.04 |

WEEKEND
OPEN THREAD. Couldn't find any new movies to go see this weekend
(at least, not any that appeared worth going to see) ... so no
movie review this weekend. As for politics, you pick the topics.Posted
by Ron Gunzburger - 09.11.04 |

TRACKING
THE BATTLEGROUND STATES ... AND NADER NEWS. Ohio is still
a tight contest, according to the new WCPO-TV/SurveyUSA poll of
likely voters. The numbers: Bush-50%, Kerry-47%. In North Carolina,
the latest WTVD-TV/SurveyUSA poll shows the Tarheel State equally
competitive. The
numbers: Bush-50%, Kerry-46%. California is not usually viewed
as a battleground state, but the new KABC-TV/SurveyUSA poll shows
Bush pulling to within ten-points of Kerry in the state. The numbers:
Kerry-52%, Bush-42%. In New Jersey, the Newark Star-Ledger/Rutgers
University poll also shows the state remains close: Kerry-43%,
Bush-39%, Nader/Others-5%. Based upon the latest round of heavy
TV ad buys by the Kerry campaign in 14 key states, the Dems have
demoted -- at least, for now -- Colorado, Arizona, Missouri, Arkansas,
North Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee to "second tier"
battleground states. In other P2004 news, a Florida judge issued
an order that appears to knock Ralph Nader off the ballot in the
state on Thursday. Florida Secretary of State Glenda Hood, in
response, did not include Nader on the list of certified Presidential
candidates sent to the various county election officials later
that day. The Florida Democratic Party sued to disqualify Nader
and the judge said in court that there were "at least 15
reasons as to why [Nader] won't qualify" for the Florida
ballot. By contrast, David Cobb (Green), Michael Badnarik (Libertarian),
Walt Brown (Socialist), Michael Peroutka (Constitution) and the
stand-in slate for the constitutionally ineligible
Socialist Workers Party nominees all qualified for the ballot
without controversy in the Sunshine State. Nader vows to appeal.
In recent days, Nader qualified for the ballot in Oregon and New
Mexico -- although Dems vow a court fight in NM to disqualify
him -- and was knocked off the ballot in Virginia. It appears
Nader is now on track to appear on at least 20 state ballots ...
which is an total substantially less than Badnarik, Cobb or Peroutka.Posted
by Ron Gunzburger - 09.10.04 |

SATURDAY
IS PRIMARY DAY IN DELAWARE. There isn't much to watch on Saturday
in Delaware but, hey, an election is an election. Governor Ruth
Ann Minner (D) doesn't face any primary, but there is a contest
on the GOP side. Former Judge Bill Lee is heavily favored in the
GOP contest over airline pilot Mike Protack. Four years ago, the
maverick Lee lost the GOP primary by just 46 votes to the establishment
candidate with the official endorsement of the state party. This
year, Lee has the endorsement -- but he'll still be an underdog
in November against Minner. She's generally popular and has outraised
Lee by a wide margin. Dems will also see a primary for State Insurance
Commissioner. No contested federal primary races, and Congressman
Mike Castle (R) is a safe bet to win another term in November.Posted
by Ron Gunzburger - 09.10.04 |

NC,
OH & CA CONTEST UPDATES. In North
Carolina, the latest WTVD-TV/SurveyUSA tracking poll shows that
the Dems are well positioned to win the gubernatorial and open
US Senate contests in the state. Govenor Mike Easley (D) leads
former State Senate Minority Leader Patrick Ballantine (R) by
a 54% to a 39% vote. In the US Senate contest to replace VP nominee
John Edwards, former White House Chief of Staff Erskine Bowles
(D) continues to hold his steady lead over Congressman Richard
Burr (R). The numbers: Bowles-50%, Burr-40%. In Ohio, US Senator
George Voinovich (R) appears to be cruising to an easy re-election
over State Senator Eric Fingerhut (D). The WCPO-TV/SurveyUSA poll
shows Voinovich leading by a 53% to 35% vote. In California, the
latest KABC-TV/SurveyUSA tracking poll shows US Senator Barbara
Boxer (D) leading former Secretary of State Bill Jones (R) by
an identical 53%-35% vote.Posted
by Ron Gunzburger - 09.10.04 |

NEW
BUSH
GUARD RECORDS: MAJOR PROBLEMS FOR PREZ ... OR FAKES? The media
continues to buzz about the newly found documents from the personal
files of the late Colonel Jerry Killian, who was President Bush's
commanding officer in the Texas Air National Guard. According
to the Boston Globe and CBS's 60
Minutes, Bush pulled political strings to land a spot in the
National Guard to avoid being drafted during the Vietnam War and
possibly shirked his service obligation while in the Guard. "I
ordered that 1st Lt. Bush be suspended not just for failing to
take a physical ... but for failing to perform to US Air Force/Texas
Air National Guard standards," wrote Killian in a 1972 memo.
US News & World Report asked former Reagan Administration
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Manpower and Reserve Affairs
Lawrence Korb to review all of the Bush records found to date.
Korb said Bush "had not fulfilled his obligation ... When
I look at his records it is clear he didn't do what he was supposed
to do. Since he didn't do these those things, he should have been
called to active duty." Some Bush partisans are trying to
raise
questions about whether or not the purported Killian documents
are authentic. Stay tuned. Postscript: ABC News reports there
are questions about the authenticity of the documents based upon
the typeface and spacing used in the document. Killian's widow
told ABC she thought the documents were "very suspect."
Killian's son, who served in the Guard with his father, told the
AP that some of the documents appeared to be genuine, while others
were questionable.Posted
by Ron Gunzburger - 09.10.04 |

FRIDAY
OPEN THREAD. News tip: The same gay activist who last week
successfully outed two-term Congressman Ed Schrock (R-VA) as gay
is apparently on the verge of outing a high-ranking member of
the US House GOP Leadership as gay next week. Other news: Hurricane
Ivan is a very, very scary storm and -- while this comment
is selfish -- I hope it heads anywhere except here in South Florida
(which is currently a likely target). If a "Doomsday Storm"
like that Category 5 one is still pointed at us later this weekend,
it may be the first time I will ever leave Florida to a avoid
a hurricane. But, if that happens, I'll bring my laptop on the
road trip so I can stay connected with you folks.Posted
by Ron Gunzburger - 09.10.04 |

TRACKING
THE BATTLEGROUND STATES. A
whole bunch of new -- post GOP convention -- polls out for several
key battleground states. In Arizona, the new Arizona Republic/Market
Solutions Group poll shows Bush now holding a huge lead in the
state. The numbers: Bush-54%, Kerry-38%. In Missouri, the new
CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll gives Bush the lead by a 55% to 41%
vote among likely voters ... or 53% to 42% among registered voters.
In Ohio, however, the CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll continues to show
the state competitive, but that depends on what pool of voters
are polled. The numbers: Bush-52%, Kerry-43%, Nader-2% with likely
voters ... or Bush-47%, Kerry-46%, Nader-2% among registered voters.
In Oregon, a new Riley Research poll of "very likely"
voters shows Bush-46%, Kerry-45%, Nader-1%, Others/Refused-2%.
Riley -- a company that usually polls for business or medical
industry clients -- said they conducted this poll on their own.
In Pennsylvania, the new CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll shows a dead
heat in the state. Likely voters: Bush-48%, Kerry-47%. Registered
voters: Both men tied with 47% apiece. In Washington State, the
new CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll gives the lead there to Kerry. Likely
voters: Kerry-52%, Bush-44%, Nader-1%. Registered voters: Kerry-51%,
Bush-43%, Nader-2%.Posted
by Ron Gunzburger - 09.9.04 |

WILL
THE ENTIRE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION COME DOWN TO THIS ONE GUY'S VOTE?
An act of party unity and magnanimity is coming back to haunt
the West Virginia Republican Party. In
the immediate aftermath of the crowded 10-person GOP primary for
Governor back in May, the party selected the five top runner-ups
from the gubernatorial contest to be the official slate of GOP
Electors for the upcoming Presidential race. Those names were
subsequently filed by the state's deadline and are now locked
into place. That's where the problem begins. South Charleston
Mayor Richie
Robb (R) -- who placed fourth in the primary with 10% -- was
thus awarded one of the coveted Presidential Elector slots. This
week Robb told the AP that he does not think he will cast his
electoral vote for President Bush. Under WV state law, apparently,
there is nothing that forces him to do so. Robb said he will not
cast his ballot for Kerry, but would most likely cast his electoral
vote -- if Bush wins the state -- for "No Candidate."
A Gore elector from DC, who apparently had some ties to the LaRouche
organization, did likewise in 2000. Robb, a Vietnam War veteran
who was awarded the Bronze Star for heroism in combat, said he
opposed the Iraq War and was also upset with the Swift Boat Vets
ads that attacked Kerry's record in Vietnam. "When their
candidate [Bush] dodged Vietnam, to me that type of conduct is
going over the line," said Robb to the AP. "I think
President Bush needs to get the message from people across this
country, including Republicans, that his strategy in national
security and his economic policies needs to be revisited ... I
see an erosion of the middle class in this country and a disparity
in income levels I think is unhealthy for this country and its
future," he added. "He's going to do the will of the
people ... he knows what it is like to be a part of a team,"
said State GOP Chairman Kris Warner, who said he expects Robb
will cast his electoral ballot for Bush. Robb disagreed, notes
that he was not present when they selected the electors and did
not seek the honor. "My job is to exercise my best judgment.
That's how I've always done it. That's how I intend to do it,"
countered Robb.Posted
by Ron Gunzburger - 09.9.04 |

THURSDAY
OPEN THREAD. Hurricane Frances is gone and we've got electricity
again ... but now it appears we are again within the projected
track of yet another very dangerous hurricane. Hurricane Ivan
appears to be about five days away, so there is still plenty of
time to have it go in some other (ANY other) direction.Posted
by Ron Gunzburger - 09.9.04 |

INCUMBENTS
CRUISE TO SOLID WINS IN ARIZONA PRIMARY. My electricity is
finally on again after four days of darkness, thanks to Hurricane
Frances. That said, let's get on with the latest political news.
Despite several high profile and well-financed challenges, Arizona's
incumbents scored strong primary wins yesterday. In
CD-2, wealthy broadcasting executive Rick Murphy dumped $500,000
from his own pocket into his GOP primary challenge to conservative
freshman Congressman Trent Franks, but still lost by a 2-to-1
margin. In CD-5, Congressman J.D. Hayworth (R) destroyed National
Women’s Political Caucus President Roselyn O'Connell by
a landslide vote of 82% to 18%. In CD-6, former State Senator
and lobbyist Stan Barnes attacked maverick Congressman Jeff Flake
(R) for being so rigidly fiscal conservative that he was depriving
his own district of much needed federal dollars -- but Flake still
won by an 18-point margin. In CD-8, State House Majority Whip
Randy Graf (R) challenged Congressman Jim Kolbe from the right,
attacking Kolbe as being insufficiently conservative on abortion
and gun issues. Unspoken in the race was festering social conservative
discomfort with Kolbe for also being openly gay. Kolbe, however,
scored a comfortable 57%-43% win in the primary. In November,
US Senator John McCain (R) faces only nominal opposition from
teacher Stu Starky (D) and radio talk show host Ernest Hancock
(Libertarian). Freshman Congressman Rick Renzi (R) is expected
to face a competitive challenge in the general election from Coconino
County Supervisor Paul Babbitt (D), the brother of former Arizona
Governor Bruce Babbitt. Renzi is favored, but both men are well
financed for this top-targeted contest. Meanwhile, the rest of
the Arizona Congressional delegation all appear to be fairly safe
in their November races.Posted
by Ron Gunzburger - 09.8.04 |

ALASKA
SENATE RACE UPDATE. The first post-primary independent poll
numbers are in for the hotly contested Alaska US Senate race.
Former Governor Tony Knowles (D) continues to lead incumbent US
Senator Lisa Murkowski (R), although the new KTUU poll shows that
the margin continues to narrow. Also, it is becoming clear that
the third party candidates may determine the outcome in this race.
The numbers: Knowles-45.6%, Murkowski-44.5%, State Green Party
Co-Founder Jim Sykes-2.4%, former GOP state legislator Jerry Sanders
(Alaskan Independence)-1.3%, Others-1.9%. Sanders is a former
GOP state legislator. Former State Senator Jerry Ward (R) -- who
had earlier considered making a primary challenge to Murkowski
because he was upset with the way Governor Frank Murkowski selected
his own daughter for the seat over Ward and the other finalists
-- this past week agreed to become Sanders' campaign manager.Posted
by Ron Gunzburger - 09.8.04 |

NEVADA
PRIMARY RESULTS. Tuesday
was also primary day in Nevada, although -- unlike in Arizona
-- there were no hotly contested primaries. The federal incumbents
who faced challenges swept to easy victories. In CD-3, wealthy
former casino executive Tom Gallagher (D) easily won his congressional
primary over five minor opponents. Gallagher will face-off in
November against potentially vulnerable Congressman Jon Porter
(R) -- making it the only big race in the state (other than Bush-Kerry)
worth watching in November. The most colorful contest of the day
-- albeit meaningless -- was the GOP contest for US Senator. Real
estate investor and anti-gay activist Richard Ziser (R) won the
6-person contest. Conservative activist Ken Wegner, who proposed
posting the US military along the entire length of the US border
to keep out smugglers and immigrants, finished second. Rancher
Bob Brown Jr. finished third, even though it was reported that
he actually resided in Florida. US Senate Minority Whip Harry
Reid (D) is expected to easily win re-election in November. Reid
has raised nearly $8 million to date, and has the open support
of the state's GOP Governor and several other Republican elected
officials. Ziser, by contrast, has raised a little over $400,000.Posted
by Ron Gunzburger - 09.8.04 |

KEYES
ANNOUNCES
BIG ENDORSEMENT: JESUS. Controversial, fiery and colorful
US Senate candidate Alan Keyes (R-IL) seems to have no problem
attracting media attention to his long-shot candidacy. He first
accused his African-American opponent -- State Senator Barack
Obama (D) -- of espousing "the slaveholder's" view of social
issues like abortion. Then, a recent TV interview with Keyes nearly
descended into fisticuffs. Last week in a media interview, Keyes
denounced the lesbian daughter of Vice President Dick Cheney as
a "selfish hedonist." On Tuesday Keyes did it again,
this time by essentially announcing that Jesus would be supporting
him (if Jesus, of course, was an Illinois voter). "Christ
would not vote for Barack Obama because Barack Obama has voted
to behave in a way that it is inconceivable for Christ to have
behaved," declared Keyes. Republican leaders in the state
have all been distancing themselves from Keyes in recent weeks
so as to not be hurt in their own races by the massive voter backlash
they are expecting to befall Keyes. Posted
by Ron Gunzburger - 09.8.04 |

GREETINGS
FROM "THE LONESTAR RANCH" IN IRAQ. Here's the latest
report from our friend and special correspondent Lt. James Crabtree
of our "adopted" 1/23 Marines in Iraq:

Dear
Politics1 Readers,

Greeting once more from the lovely Al-Asad, Iraq, where the
time flies like an arrow, but the fruit flies like a banana
(actually I think that's an old Groucho Marx line). Anyhow,
the election results are in from the first free and democratic
election in the Al-Anbar province of Iraq. After all the precincts
have reported in, here are the winners:

The
Command Post will now be named "The Hacienda."
The chow hall is now known as "The Corral."
The camp name winner was "The Lonestar Ranch."
The Gym will be called "The Sweatbox."

At
first the media called the mascot race for Gore, then for Bush,
then it was a toss-up, but ultimately the winner was the soon
to be infamous ... COMBAT ARMADILLO! He'll be giving a victory
speech later this evening.

In
other news, all remains well here. The Marines and sailors of
our battalion continue to do an awesome job. In fact, every
day they become more familiar with our AO (Area of Operations)
and more proficient with their tasks.

Well, enough about that. It's time to turn to a new feature
I hope to do each week entitled "Get To Know Us."
The weekly GTKU feature will focus on the individual Marines
and sailors in our battalion -- introducing you to a different
one each week -- to provide you with a small glimpse into their
lives both at home in America and here in Iraq. This week --
our inaugural issues -- we profile Cpl Jorge Garcia-Ovando
...

The days begin early in Al-Asad, Iraq for 28 year-old Marine
Corporal Jorge Garcia-Ovando of H&S Company 1/23. By 0500
(or 5 a.m. to civilians) he has already begun to make his
rounds to ensure that the 14 Marines that are under his charge
as the assistant squad leader are taken care of. This involves
everything from making sure the Marines' weapons are clean
and their ammo ready, to checking on how much sleep they had
and how much food they were able to eat. They stand post for
24 hours at a time, are then part of a reaction force the
next day, and on the third day they provide security for convoys.
On the fourth day the Marines start the cycle all over again.
It's not an easy task by any means, but it is one that Cpl
Garcia-Ovando volunteered for -- and he couldn't be prouder
of his Marines or the role he carries out. Originally an administration
Marine in the battalion's S-1 section, he was forced into
the rotating guard force out of necessity of numbers. In fact,
his duties on the guard force are the very essence of the
Marine Corps and the backbone of the battalion. Without the
security provided by the Marines on post and patrol its doubtful
much of what the battalion does would be successful.

Back
in March 2004, Cpl Garcia-Ovando was an accounting major at
North Harris College in Houston, Texas and was enjoying the
life any regular civilian might. Born in Guatemala to a family
of accountants and raised in the San Fernando Valley of California,
he was happily engaged to Marie Corral (herself a student
at the University of Houston). Cpl Garcia-Ovando had served
for four years on active duty with a Marine aviation unit
(MAG-11) at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, CA from 1995-99
and had been a part of the basketball team that won the base
basketball championship at Miramar in 1996. One day his friend
Sgt Elias Herrera told him that 1/23 was being activated and
sent to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom II. Something
inside of Cpl Garcia-Ovando told him that he wanted to go
to Iraq, as well. He says he quickly made up his mind to rejoin
the Marines because "I love the Marine Corps and I felt it
was my duty to come here with my brothers." Shortly thereafter
he showed up at the battalion's headquarters and was made
a member of the unit. Since that time he has undergone two
weeks of training at Ft Polk, LA and a couple of months in
the desert of Twentynine Palms, CA. Today, he is enjoying
a free, all expense-paid trip to the sunny sands of Iraq.

The most challenging aspect of his days here is dealing with
the heat during the hottest part of the day with temperatures
often reaching upwards of 120 degrees. When wearing a Kevlar
helmet, a flak jacket with a collar protector and SAPI (Small
Arms Protective Inserts) plates, while carrying a weapon and
ammo and standing on the hot desert ground, it is easy to
see why that aspect would be the worst. That challenge however,
is easily out weighed he claims by the esprit-de-corps that
comes from being here with his fellow Marines.

Upon
the successful completion of this tour Cpl Garcia-Ovando looks
forward to returning home to Houston and to his fiancée. He
plans to transfer to the University of Houston and complete
his degree and will be able to one day look back with a great
sense of satisfaction on his service to his nation. More satisfaction,
he believes, than an accountant could ever add up.

Thank
you as always for all of the great mail and thanks especially
to Ron Gunzburger for all he continues to do for our battalion.
We're glad to see he made it through the hurricane and hope
that all is well with his friends and family.

Semper
Fi,James

If
you'd like to send the 1/23d any care packages (food items that
won't melt, batteries, books, magazine, baby wipes, etc.), please
address the packages to Lt Crabtree, 1/23 H&S Co, Unit 41900,
FPO, AP 96426-1900 ... and James will ensure that whatever
you ship gets distributed to the Marines in the 1/23. If you'd
like to read more about our adopted 1/23 Marine battalion in Iraq,
please click here.Posted
by Ron Gunzburger - 09.8.04 |

DAY
FOUR ... AND STILL IN THE DARK. I'm using a friend's computer
just so I can post a brief update to let you know all is well,
although this is now "Day Four" for me without any electricity.
The utility company says I should have power back by Friday. But,
beyond that (and a few snapped fence posts and broken tree branches),
no major problems. Needless to say, I haven't been able to check
any emails or post updates as I'm literally still in the dark
as to any news happening anywhere else. Now we have Hurricane
Ivan aiming at southern Florida for this upcoming weekend. Hopefully,
it will turn in any other direction -- as I've had enough of a
sweltering house, cold showers, canned food, and darkness. Soon
... as soon as I have power again ... I'll get back to posting
daily updates. Thanks, again, for your patience.Posted
by Ron Gunzburger - 09.7.04 |

FRIDAY
OPEN THREAD. Wanted to create a new open thread so you can
debate everything from President Bush's convention speech ...
to Kerry's hard-hitting response to the attacks on his fitness
to serve ... to Zell Miller ... to the Tuesday's upcoming state
primaries in Arizona and Nevada ... to Hurricane Frances. Be sure
to read my note below in the "Thursday Open Thread"
to read why we may get knocked offline for a few days by the hurricane.
But, be assured -- in the words of Arnold -- "I'll be baaack!"Posted
by Ron Gunzburger - 09.3.04 |

VOTING,
PHONING HOME, GETTING MAIL. Lt. James Crabtree of our adopted
1/23 Marines gives us the inside scoop on the first democratic
election to be held in Iraq:

Dear
Readers of Politics1.com,

Howdy
once again from the blazing sands of Al-Asad, Iraq. We are proud
to announce that our battalion is conducting one of the first
free and democratic elections in this nation. Actually, the
election is amongst the 1/23 Marines for what we'll call our
camp, as well as our chow hall, gym, mascot, and command post
... so don't get too excited. Hopefully we won't have any pregnant,
dimpled, or hanging chads.

The
2/7 battalion that we are replacing was known as the War Dawgs
and thus they named everything around here like a Cleveland
Browns fan might have done. They called their camp the Dawg
House and so forth. Well, since our battalion is approximately
89% Texan or Louisianan, our Headquarters and Service Company
Commanding Officer (Maj Hayward) has come up with the idea of
having an election to rename everything in a manner closer to
our roots and heritage. Every Marine here gets a vote and the
results will be announced within the next week. I guarantee
we won't have a "Saddam Hussein - 100% of the vote"-like
results since several of the "candidates" are pretty
good. For your amusement here is our list. I'd be curious as
to what the readers would vote for (I'll check out the blog
comments y'all post here).

Command
Post - Vote for one: a. Mission Control, b. Lonestar, c. The
Ponderosa (wasn't that set in NV?), d. The Hacienda, and e.
The Astrodome

I've
also enclosed some more pictures to give you a better feel for
our little corner of the world.

As
you can see, the phone center is small and cramped, and is made
out of used wood and other assorted items -- but it works and
we're glad to have it.

Today
was also the day we finally got a ton of mail. It filled up
an entire 7-ton truck and it took a working party to unload
and sort it all.

Thanks
to all of the families and friends of the battalion that sent
letters and care packages. It's a good problem to have when
there is so much mail that you need extra Marines to help handle
it. Keep the mail coming!

Before
and after of the Iraqi Air Force. This was a pre-war Iraqi mural
boasting about the power of Saddam's air power. Next you'll
see the reality ...

Finally,
here is a photo of one of the typical bombed out old Iraqi jets
that litter this base. I guess in some weird way they ad a certain
element of character to our surroundings. They also make good
navigational items. I've actually heard a Marine tell another
Marine that he could reach a certain area by "taking a right
at the first destroyed jet...."

Later
this week I plan to start my "Get to know us" effort of profiling
a different Marine each week from 1/23. My first volunteer is
Cpl Jorge Garcia-Ovando of Houston, Texas, and I will hopefully
have his picture and profile into the webpage soon.

Thanks
again for everything!

Semper
Fi,
James

If
you'd like to send the 1/23d any care packages, please address
the packages to Lt Crabtree, 1/23 H&S Co, Unit 41900,
FPO, AP 96426-1900 ... and James will ensure that whatever
you ship gets distributed to the Marines in the 1/23. If you'd
like to read more about our adopted 1/23 Marine battalion in Iraq,
please click here.Posted
by Ron Gunzburger - 09.2.04 |

THURSDAY
OPEN THREAD. Hurricane Frances is nearing the Florida coast,
with landfall expected late Friday night or early Saturday morning.
Right now, it is forecast to come ashore somewhere in Martin County
(which is two counties north of my home in Broward County). Under
that scenario, we'll get 60 mph tropical storm force winds and
rain squals. However, hurricanes are unpredictable and Broward
is still well within the area covered by the declared "hurricane
warning" area. I spent today shuttering all the windows --
as you can see from the pic of my home this afternoon with the
old wooden shutters hammered closed -- and moving everything inside
from the backyard. Also went to fill up the gas tank in my car,
but that took almost an hour: part of the time just looking for
a station that still had gas left, then waiting in a long line
to get the gas. And, as I live in an evacuation zone, we're going
to be heading inland to stay with friends early tomorrow morning.
Also: The folks at Softec Internet -- who host the Politics1 site
-- are located in Cocoa Beach, so they may take a harder hit.
If that's the case, we could be off-line for a few days depending
on the availability of electricity, damage to internet backbone
cables, destruction to the area, etc.
If that happens, keep checking back each day as we'll return online
as soon as I can connect and as soon as my server folks have power
again. Thanks for your patience ... and pray for the safety of
everyone living here on Florida's Atlantic coast.Posted
by Ron Gunzburger - 09.2.04 |

WEDNESDAY
OPEN THREAD #2. As the National Hurricane Center keeps doing
their Hurricane Frances updates every three hours, it appears
more and more likely that this huge Category 4 storm (right) will
come ashore late Friday or early Saturday somewhere between Miami
and Cocoa Beach. Well, I live and work in the lower half of that
range, and Politics1's server is located at the northern edge
of the range. The government center where I work is being locked-down
later today, with no one allowed in the building as of tomorrow
morning -- so I guess this is serious. Based on all this, I'll
do my best to do updates tomorrow ... but I may have to be outside
hammering up the storm shutters, moving yard stuff inside, and
preparing to evacuate inland (my home is in a "Category 3 and
Up" evacuation zone). If it comes ashore further north, there
is a realistic chance that downed electrical lines could knock
the site offline by Saturday. If that happens, keep checking back
each day as we'll return online as soon as I can connect and as
soon as my server folks have power again. Thanks for your understanding.
Stay tuned.Posted
by Ron Gunzburger - 09.1.04 |

WEDNESDAY
OPEN THREAD. Sorry for the very late posting today, but I'm
resting up a bit after having been serving as a campaign manager
(unpaid!!) -- in what little free time I had outside of my real
job and outside of Politics1 -- for a hotly contested Dem
primary campaign here in Broward County, Florida. We were
hit with anonymous 527-group attacks and a very well-funded opponent
... we started with a huge deficit in our early polling two months
ago ... but we won by a comfortable margin! So ... I'm taking
today off from work, and from Politics1, to enjoy the day. I'll
be back tomorrow with updates. That said, feel free to debate
about Arnold, the Bush twins, George P, Michael Moore, the Florida
primary results (and the Castor-Martinez US Senate contest), the
looming Kerry campaign team shake-up ... anything at all. Also,
FYI, Thursday's postings won't come online until around 9 AM Thursday
morning (instead of late tonight).Posted
by Ron Gunzburger - 09.1.04 |

IS
YOUR CAMPAIGN HIRING? If so, then let us know.
We'll post the ad for free for any paid campaign
staff positions. See our Jobs
page for more details.